Second Chance
by just-typing
Summary: After Harry dies in the Seventh year, he will meet his death and will be given a second chance to set things right. Follow our hero as he makes different choices this time around.
1. Chapter 1

This story is inspired by Harry Potter and Afterlife Inc by dunuelos. And as such it also follows the conditions from Reptilia28's challenge.. The challenge is below.

CHALLENGE:

Challenge issued by "Reptilia28" - Originally on Portkey verbatim:

A funny little challenge I just came up with. It's a comical twist on the time-travel category.

STORYLINE:

*Harry is killed at 17 during a fight with Voldemort. He's sent to his Death's office (explained later) and finds out that this isn't the first time that this has happened.

*Harry's Death (who can have a human name) is mad at his arrival. Apparently, people dying before their time is a black mark on the various Deaths' records, and Harry is getting perilously close to getting this particular one fired.

*When Harry asks what was supposed to have happened, Death goes off on a rant saying how he was supposed to have killed Voldemort, found his soulmate ("Some Granger girl...") and lived to be a centennial age. But since Harry keeps getting into life-threatening situations for one reason or another, he keeps dying before that happens. Harry is surprised about the soulmate part.

*Death gives Harry a paper to sign that allows him to retain his memories (the previous times, he wasn't given this option for some reason). Harry is deposited to a previous time of the writer's choosing.

*Eventually, Harry gets it right. He kills Voldemort, gets the girl, and lives to a ripe old age of whatever. And Death doesn't get fired.

REQUIREMENTS:

*Harry had to have died at least three times before this one.

*The memory keeping contract must be included.

*Death must refer to Hermione as "some Granger girl" when Harry's soulmate turns up in his rant.

*Obviously, must be H/Hr.

*Have fun.

OPTIONAL:

*Dumbledore's manipulations can be a factor in Harry's premature demises.

Chapter 1: The Beyond

Harry Potter ended up somewhere. He did not recognise where he was. It was completely black around him. He could see nothing in any direction. His first thought was 'Avada Kedavra blinded me', but he realized that he was not blind, there was absolutely no light here it was completely dark. Harry tried to recollect how he ended up here, the last thing he remembered was going to the forbidden forest, where Voldemort was there, to sacrifice himself. He saw Hagrid there and then offered no resistance to Voldemort when he fired the Avada Kedavra and now Harry had no idea why he was here.

So I am dead, Harry decided. 'But at least if Voldemort sticks to his words, all my friends are safe' Harry thought. He wanted to know how his friends were, but seeing as he was stuck in some place very dark, he had no option but to wait for something to happen. Harry was thinking that death was certainly better than living. After all the hardships in the past year, this definitely felt welcome. Harry was anxious to know what happened to his friends, as time passed he was getting more and more worried.

Where was here? Did Voldemort win? What happened to Hermione, Ron and Ginny? were some of the questions he was thinking. Finally he decided to take a walk. Find someone who can tell him what happened. He got up, but as it was completely dark around him, he did not know which direction to go. 'Well I am already dead, Whichever direction doesn't make a difference, I can't die again' he thought and tried to move forward.

As soon as he kept one step, he felt the whole area lighting up. It was not a pretty picture. He could feel Anger emanating from all around him. The whole scene he was seeing could be described as nature being angry. Heavy winds, lightning all around him, Thunder claps etc.. etc... But he wanted to know about his friends, so he tried to walk further. Even though the whole scene was not dark now, it was just as worse, It looked like he was in the middle of somewhere and he could not get out as all around him was pandemonium. 'Someone is very angry with me right now' Harry thought.

"YES I AM" came a voice thundering from all the directions at once. Harry did not know what to make of it. He decided on the Gryffindor approach. "Who are you?" Harry shouted back. The answer was immediate "No need to shout, if I can hear your thoughts, I can as well hear what you are talking, there is no need for you to raise your voice." The same voice answered. "But you haven't answered my question. Who are you?" asked Harry in a normal voice this time.

"I am your Death" the voice answered back. Harry was taken aback. He did not know what to think or what to make out of this odd encounter. 'My death? Death can speak to me? What is happening?' he thought. But like last time there was no answer to his thoughts. Finally he decided on asking questions to find out all the answers. "You are my Death?" asked Harry. "Yes, and YOU ARE DUMB" shouted back the voice. Harry decided to ignore the insult, and ask more pressing questions. "Are you the death mentioned in the story of the Deathly Hallows?" asked Harry. "No that Story is just that, a Story" Answered back the voice. "Please tell me who are you and why you are talking to me?" asked Harry.

"As I said I am your Death, or the more appropriate word which you can understand will be a Guardian angel. We have been called by many names by many cultures, I personally prefer Death, and you may think of me as whatever you want." The voice answered back. "So me talking to you means that I am dead?" asked Harry. "Yes, you are, again" answered the voice. "What do you mean again?" asked Harry. "AGAIN means YOU ARE A USELESS STUPID PERSON, WHO CANNOT COMPLETE THE WORK HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO" Shouted the voice. The nature around him grew more agitated, it was as if the scene around him was linked to the mental state of the voice. "It is not linked to my mental state, I am the scene around you" replied the voice, which answered his thoughts.

"Can you please calm down?" asked Harry. "I can try" the voice of Death replied and within some time the nature around him grew more pleasent. Now there was a calm ocean near his feet and the sky was clear blue with very few clouds scattered here and there. Harry did not think that his Death was truly calm, he thought that Death has forced himself to be pleasant so that Harry can hear to what Death had to say. "Even though you are a fool, sometimes your conclusions are correct" Death Complemented and Insulted him in the same line. Harry again tried to ignore the insult "Can you please come back to the again part and stop insulting me?" asked Harry.

"Every person has a destiny, and your destiny was a great one. Instead of fulfilling it, you keep on dying before your time and create trouble for me." The voice answered. "I have died before? When? Why don't I remember it?" asked Harry in a fast tone. "Obviously you don't remember, we wipe the memory of this encounter before you leave" Answered Death. "As for your previous deaths, let me recount it. You first died when you were 6 years old and had taken a bad beating from that Veron man. And the second time you died when you tried to apparate on to the school roof after being chased by that Dursley gang. However you are not responsible for both of these deaths. But for everything else, I hold your stupidity responsible" Said Death.

"I have died even more times?" Asked Harry. "Yes. let me tell you, how much ever you want to read a letter jumping off a boat to catch a letter will get you dead. You remember when this was, yes, the night before your eleventh birthday. And gettin caught in devils snare and shouting Light, Light will not give you light, it just makes you dead. Lets see Second Year, You honestly thought that you could outfight a grown wizard and a Basilisk armed with just a sword and closing your eyes? Lucky thats the only time you died in that fight. Second time the Phoenix saved you. You did not die in your third year. Lucky. Fourth year, what were you thinking? Do you think ANY BROOM in the world can outfly a dragon? Originally all that was left of you was ash. And Fifth year you ran after your God father into the veil. Though I will put it down to emotional response instead of Stupidity. And luckily you did not get killed in sixth year. Or may be not lucky. You did nothing in sixth year, so you couldn't get killed. And finally now. I am getting tired of sending you back. And this is the last chance you have. You get killed again without doing what you are supposed to do, I will have to be born as a mortal to compensate for you." Concluded Death.

Harry was angry with death for calling him stupid again and again, but as he analyzed the incidents death was telling he found a clear pattern. He did not prepare for any of these situations. He was operating with limited knowledge and limited skill. He needed to be more prepared. That was the conclusion he got. Suddenly something death said registered in his mind. "You are going to send me back?" He asked. "Yes. But as it is your last time we will send you back in time and let you have your memory."

Harry initially was happy that he was going back. And then he realized the scene which he would go back to. He will just go in front of Voldemort, looking like having survived one more 'Avada Kedavra' curse. But Harry realized as soon as he wakes up, Voldemort will hit him with one more killing curse and Harry will end up back here. "Ah, Now you have started thinking" said the voice of death. "Finally, Dear Lord, I never thought the day would come where the great Harry Potter starts to think" Death Said.

Harry got irritated. He had been ignoring the insults from the moment he was here. But this was getting too much. "What do you mean? I do not like riddles. If you have something to say go ahead and say it. Do not keep on insulting me." Shouted Harry. "What have I told you about shouting?" asked the voice of Death. "Doesn't matter. Tell me why you are insulting me?" asked Harry.

"Let me start by telling you about your destiny. As I said before, you are to fulfill a Great destiny. You should be a hero of the war. Kill your enemies. Save the world. And marry your soul mate, some Granger girl. Live long, even longer than your previous Headmaster. Then die. You were supposed to come and meet me then. Everyone would be happy. But NO. You had to die at every opportunity that was REMOTELY LIFE THREATENING." Death Ranted.

But Harry was stuck on the Soul Mate sentence. "Did you just tell me that Hermione is my Soulmate?" Harry asked Death. "Are you that STUPID? I just told that did I not? Why do you want me to repeat myself?" Asked Death. "But, But Hermione is in Love with Ron, isn't she?" Harry asked again. "No one will keep on waiting for you forever. That's the lesson you have to take. She fancied you till the end of your fifth year. But you never returner her feelings. Forget returning her feelings. You never even made her realize that you knew that she was a girl." Death said.

"But I know Hermione is a girl" whined Harry.

"OK. You know. So tell me when was the last time you told her that she looked Beautiful" asked Death. Harry had no answer.

"That is my point. If you don't tell her that you are noticing her, she will not know:" Said Death.

"Yeah, you are right. Looks like I have made a lot of mistakes." Answered Harry.

"As I said, I am ready to send you back. I cannot emphasise enough that this is your last chance, so you have to get things right. So tell me what all things you think are mistakes from you and why you think so" Asked Death.

Harry Potter started thinking. "First mistake was driving Hermione away. We were very close till 5th year and 6th year we started fighting over a stupid book and I drove her away. She still came with me for the hunt and stayed just shows her greatness." Said Harry.

"Not only Greatness. It also shows her love for you. You both are soulmates, She will be with you no matter what and you will be with her. That is how it is" continued Death. "Now continue what all you think are mistakes"

"I was not trained for any of the incidents that you mentioned before where I died. I did not know that I had to face Voldemort so I did not train till the end of 5th year. But once I knew the prophecy, I should have somehow trained myself, instead of trying to find out what Malfoy was upto. Thinking about it, I need not have to know the prophecy to train myself to be better. I could have started training for the Triwizard tournament and should have never stopped." Said Harry.

"Now you are thinking. Continue with the next mistake" Said Death.

"Trusting Dumbledore too much. I mean he withheld information all the time. Including the fact that I had to die. And basically decided too much in my life. I am grateful for all the things he did for me. But I had to take control of at least some things." Said Harry.

"OK. What next?" Asked Death.

"Nothing that I can think of" Answered Harry.

"Well, this is enough for the time being. Also I will ask you to review your friendships closely. There are some of your acquaintances, who could be of real help to you whom you never considered friends. And some people who you think of as close friends are anything but" said Death.

Harry was confused. He could not understand whom Death was referring to. "Whom do you mean?" asked Harry.

"I cannot and will not tell you that. My job is to make sure that you complete your destiny. Who are your friends are not my business. And Also I do not think that interfering with your life will make you happy with me." answered Death.

Harry thought it made sense. So he asked "You are sending me back. So tell me how the dodge the next killing curse Voldemort shoots at me?" asked Harry.

"I told you that I will be sending you back. I never told you that I will be sending you back to the same time you came from" answered Death.

"So you will send me back in time?" asked Harry.

"Yes" answered Death.

"But what about all the stuff thats happened?" asked Harry

"The stuff that has happened is in your memory and nowhere else. This way you get an advantage and will be able to complete your destiny." Answered Death.

"What do you mean that it will be in my memory? It would not have happened? It will happen again?" Asked Harry.

"Why do I have to get you as my client? Why? Why? Why can't I have gotten a person who can think, instead of someone as stupid as you?" wailed Death.

"I will not take anymore insults from you. Tell me what I need to know without insulting me in every sentence" demanded Harry

"Now if you had taken this attitude in your life instead of your death, it could have saved you a whole lot of trouble" answered Death. That sentence put Harry into deep thought. He started thinking about all the places where he let people deal with him as they saw fit and didn't object. Snape, Dumbledore, Malfoy and even his friends were in the list of people who behaved with him in way which he did not like but he did not ask them or let them know that they had to change their behaviour with him.

"Yes, that is one of the things you have to change" said Death.

"What else do I have to change?" asked Harry.

"Start taking control of your life. This is your life, you are not living for someone else. Life a life which makes you Happy, do not live a life with resignation" answered Death.

"And?" prompted Harry.

"I cannot tell you how important being with your soul mate is. Just be together with her and you will find that you can change the whole world. That is the power of a soulmate." Said Death.

"Anything else?" Asked Harry.

"I have told you all that I am allowed to tell you. But there are some more choices you have to make based on the way your thinking will change. I mean, once you start taking control of your life, some of your friends will become your enemies, and some people whom you have not considered friends before will become close. Its your choice who your friends are, but choose wisely, this really is your last chance." advised Death.

"OK. Thats a lot to take in" Answered Harry.

"Go one step at a time. Now do you want to go back?" asked Death.

"You mean I can refuse?" asked Harry.

"Whatever you think sometimes, you do have free will. You can refuse. But I hope for the sake of the world that you accept and go back. Because as you know Voldemort can only die by your hands, and if you are not there in the picture, the future is not bright. and thats putting it mildly" told Death.

Harry started thinking deeply about what all Death has said till now. Although he was very skeptical when Death started talking to him, he now believed in Death fully and started thinking about the possibility of going back. A better Life and being with Hermione were the plus points and living through all the pain once again was the drawback.

"What about the Horcruxes?" Asked Harry.

"You will be sent back in time, so all the Horcruxes will be alive." Answered Death

"Even the one in my Scar?" asked Harry

"Yes. It may be useful later, when the fight between you and voldemort happens, you can take a killing curse and still live." answered Death

"It makes sense" told Harry.

"So you have decided to go back?" asked Death

"Well its either stay dead and abandon my friends or try once more and hopefully get a better ending. So I am ready to go back." told Harry.

"OK. I am happy with your decision. But you know that you will be walking a Tightrope right? The information you have will be a double edged sword. Having information and not using it to better your future is a waste of the information, and using some information so much that all the other information become useless will again be not optimal. So use what you know about the future wisely." advised Death.

"OK" said Harry, trying to digest what was said.

"So when do you want to go back to?" asked Death.

"You will let me decide?" asked a surprised Harry.

"Do I have to come back to the FREE WILL part again?" asked Death sarcastically.

"So I can go back to the end of 4th Year before anyone has died?" Asked Harry.

"That is technically possible, but you have to realize that other people have destinies too. If you are thinking about saving Cedric, let me tell you it is not possible. If you save him from pettigrew, he will die someway else." Answered Death.

"What about 5th Year? Can I save Sirius? or is it also a lost cause?" asked Harry.

"Well you can save Sirius. And most of the deaths after his. But some people will die anyway. They would have completed their destinies. And they have no more purpose to fulfill being a mortal. Albus Dumbledore is one. So don't go on stupid missions to save people who cannot be saved" advised Death.

"So who all can I save? Who all can I not?" asked Harry.

"Again, I am not going to answer that. You will find it out yourself. Try your best to save the people close to you. And realize losing people or any kind of loss is a necessary part of life, thats all" answered Death.

"So can I go to the end of 5th year" asked Harry.

"You can. But I have some advice. Don't go to the day when you had to go and rescue Sirius. It will be difficult for you to remember the exact sequence of events. And everyone will sense it as a sudden change in your character which will not help you in the long run" told Death

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"I mean, lets say that you are on a mission to rescue Sirius. And as soon as you get down at the ministry, you propose to Hermione based on the knowledge you have now. How will people react to that?" Asked Harry.

"I don't know. It will be too sudden" answered Harry.

"Thats my point. That is the reason I am proposing that you go back to the christmas holidays. And start building your more mature character. So in case you don't want to fight the death eaters when Sirius is apparently captured, it makes sense to the people instead of being a surprise." told Death.

"Hey, You told me that I have a free will and you are deciding when I should be sent back to" complained Harry.

"You can still go back to the ending of 5th year, if thats your wish. I was just pointing out a better alternative thats all" answered Death.

Harry was convinced Death was right. So he decided to go back to the middle of 5th year. And he also thought of more advantages to that. "I will go back to the Christmas Holidays" answered Harry.

Suddenly there was a pen and paper in front of him. "This is the memory keeping contract. You have to sign this to keep your memory" told Harry Signed.

"I am ready to send you back, before you go I have three advices. One. Be close to your Soulmate. Two. A very small change may result in a very different future. So make your choices properly. and Three. Have fun." finished Death.

"OK. Thank you. How do I go back?" asked Harry.

"Just Sleep. Next time you wake up, you will be in the past or should I say new future." answered Death.

So Harry Slept.

A/N:

What do you people think? Good/Bad/Not fit to read - Let me know in the comments

Unlike my old fic, this will take some time for the updates.

I will try to update once in a week. But once in a fortnight feels more realistic. Hope you guys enjoy the fic. Do let me know if there are any errors. I will try to correct them.

And finally, if anyone is interested in betaing, please send me a PM

till next time...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the people who reviewed, added this story as a favorite or started following this story. It means alot to know that people are actually liking what I am writing. This chapter is where the story deviates from Canon. So it will be another foundation chapter. Whatever is taken directly from the book is in Italics.

Sorry for the really long delay in updating the story. Got busy with work, so couldn't find time. I will update regularly from now. Anyway enough of this.. and back to the story.

Chapter - 2: In the House of Black

Harry Woke Up. He could not immediately recognise where he was. The last thing he knew, he was talking to Death about coming back. And now he was somewhere. Slowly he started thinking. Death said he would be sent back to Middle of Fifth year. And he was in Sirius house. Now he could think clearly. It was the christmas break.

He was in the Drawing room of Sirius' House. He could even now hear Sirius Black's voice drifting upstairs, as he was getting the decorations ready for the Christmas tomorrow. As soon as he heard Sirius voice, Harry wanted to run down and see him. Harry never expected to see Sirius alive. But now hearing his voice, Harry got such a powerful compulsion to go and greet him. But Harry fought it because in this timeline he was hiding from everybody. They had visited Mr. Weasley yesterday in St. Mungos.

He also knew what happened next. He would go and hide in Buckbeak's room and Hermione would come looking for him. That is the perfect time to build a closer relationship with Hermione thought Harry. But till now he did not get any indication from Hermione whether she liked him or not. It was only on the words on Death that he was thinking that Hermione liked him. So Harry wanted to have a plan which will make them closer.

But thinking about it Harry realised that he was wrong. It was not only Deaths words. It was Hermione's behaviour. Right from third year, she gave his broom to the McGonagall because she believed he would come to harm from it. She also helped him to make Sirius escape from Hogwarts. And in fourth year, she was the only one who believed in him. Even his so called best mate Ron didn't believe Harry. But Hermione did. Not only that, She kissed him at the end of the it was on the cheek, but it still was his first kiss that he could remember. And this year, she was by his side, motivating him at every turn even though he was shouting at her more than ever. But why did Hermione encourage me to go ahead with Cho? thought Harry and remembered the day of the last DA practice

-Flashback-

-In the Room of Requirements-

_"I really like you, Harry." _

_He could not think. A tingling sensation was spreading through him, paralysing his arms, legs and brain. _

_She was much too close. He could see every tear clinging to her eyelashes… _

_He returned to the common room half an hour later to find Hermione and Ron in the best seats by the fire; nearly everybody else had gone to bed. Hermione was writing a very long letter; she had already filled half a roll of parchment, which was dangling from the edge of the table. Ron was lying on the hearthrug, trying to finish his Transfiguration homework. _

_"What kept you?" he asked, as Harry sank into the armchair next to Hermione's. _

_Harry didn't answer. He was in a state of shock. Half of him wanted to tell Ron and Hermione what had just happened, but the other half wanted to take the secret with him to the grave. _

_"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked, peering at him over the tip of her quill. _

_Harry gave a half-hearted shrug. In truth, he didn't know whether he was alright or not. _

_"What's up?" said Ron, hoisting himself up on his elbow to get a clearer view of Harry. "What's happened?" _

_Harry didn't quite know how to set about telling them, and still wasn't sure whether he wanted to. Just as he had decided not to say anything, Hermione took matters out of his hands. _

_"Is it Cho?" she asked in a businesslike way. "Did she corner you after the meeting?" _

_Numbly surprised, Harry nodded. Ron sniggered, breaking off when Hermione caught his eye._

_"So - er - what did she want?" he asked in a mock casual voice. _

_"She -" Harry began, rather hoarsely; he cleared his throat and tried again. "She - er -" _

_"Did you kiss?" asked Hermione briskly. _

_Ron sat up so fast he sent his ink bottle flying all over the rug. Disregarding this completely, he stared avidly at Harry. _

_"Well?" he demanded. _

_Harry looked from Ron's expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity to __**Hermione's slight frown**__, and nodded. _

_"HA!" _

_Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and went into a raucous peal of laughter that made several timid-looking second-years over beside the window jump. A reluctant grin spread over Harry's face as he watched Ron rolling around on the hearthrug. _

_Hermione gave Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter. _

_"Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?" _

_Harry considered for a moment. _

_"Wet," he said truthfully. _

_Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust, it was hard to tell. _

_"Because she was crying," Harry continued heavily. _

_"Oh," said Ron, his smile fading slightly. "Are you that bad at kissing?" _

_"Dunno," said Harry, who hadn't considered this, and immediately felt rather worried. "Maybe I am." _

_"Of course you're not," said Hermione absently, still scribbling away at her letter. _

_"How do you know?" said Ron very sharply. _

_"Because Cho spends half her time crying these days," said Hermione vaguely. "She does it at mealtimes, in the loos, all over the place." _

_"You'd think a bit of kissing would cheer her up," said Ron, grinning. _

_"Ron," said Hermione in a dignified voice, dipping the point of her quill into her inkpot, "you are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet." _

_"What's that supposed to mean?" said Ron indignantly. "What sort of person cries while someone's kissing them?" _

_"Yeah," said Harry, slightly desperately, "who does?" _

_Hermione looked at the pair of them with an almost pitying expression on her face. _

_"Don't you understand how Cho's feeling at the moment?" she asked. _

_"No," said Harry and Ron together. _

_Hermione sighed and laid down her quill. _

_"Well, obviously, she's feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying. Then I expect she's feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can't work out who she likes best. Then she'll be feeling guilty, thinking it's an insult to Cedric's memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she'll be worrying about what everyone else might say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can't work out what her feelings towards Harry are, anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that's all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she's afraid she's going to be thrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she's been flying so badly." _

_A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode." _

_"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," said Hermione nastily picking up her quill again. _

_"She was the one who started it," said Harry. "I wouldn't've - she just sort of came at me - and next thing she's crying all over me - I didn't know what to do —" _

_"Don't blame you, mate," said Ron, looking alarmed at the very thought. _

_"You just had to be nice to her," said Hermione__**, looking up anxiously**__. "You were, weren't you?" _

_"Well," said Harry, an unpleasant heat creeping up his face, "I sort of - patted her on the back a bit." _

_Hermione looked as though she was restraining herself from rolling her eyes with extreme difficulty. _

_"Well, I suppose it could have been worse," she said. "Are you going to see her again?"_

_"I'll have to, won't I?" said Harry. "We've got D.A. meetings, haven't we?" _

_"You know what I mean," said Hermione impatiently. _

_Harry said nothing. Hermione's words opened up a whole new vista of frightening possibilities. He tried to imagine going somewhere with Cho — Hogsmeade, perhaps - and being alone with her for hours at a time. Of course, she would have been expecting him to ask her out after what had just happened… the thought made his stomach clench painfully. _

_"Oh well," said Hermione distantly, buried in her letter once more, "you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask her." _

_"What if he doesn't want to ask her?" said Ron, who had been watching Harry with an unusually shrewd expression on his face. _

_"Don't be silly," said Hermione vaguely, "Harry's liked her for ages, haven't you, Harry?" _

_He did not answer. Yes, he had liked Cho for ages, but whenever he had imagined a scene involving the two of them it had always featured a Cho who was enjoying herself, as opposed to a Cho who was sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. _

_"Who're you writing the novel to, anyway?" Ron asked Hermione, trying to read the bit of parchment now trailing on the floor. Hermione hitched it up out of sight. _

_**"Viktor."**_

_"Krum?" _

-Flashback Ends-

Harry now started thinking furiously. If Hermione was really happy for me to get together with Cho why would she be frowning when I kissed Cho. Or why would she be anxious if I have behaved properly with Cho or not. Or why tell Victor Krum's name when I am discussing Cho? may be to make me jealous. Now Harry started understanding. He might have missed so many such clues in the previous time line that She was not his anymore. This was her way of telling the he liked him. By helping him the best way she could, but he did not understand it. He felt so foolish after he realized that.

Now that he was reasonably certain that Hermione liked him, he had to think about his feelings. Was he really a soul mate of Hermione? If he was why would he go behind Cho? Why he did not consider Hermione Girlfriend material?

What Harry wanted to do first was to think about what he wanted in a girl. So he mentally listed out the qualities he wanted in a girl. This was much easier as he had already broken up with both Cho and Ginny the other timeline, so he knew they were not the ones he was looking for. And he also had become more mature. The original Harry studying in fifth year may not be able to do this but this Harry who was back from 7th year was in a position to do it. The list was:

A girl who will not treat him as the Boy-Who-Lived. But as a normal person.

A girl whom he could talk to easily.

A girl who would not be afraid of him and his temper.

And there were a lot more minor ones. But these three were enough to eliminate Cho and Ginny. Actually the first one requirement was itself enough. But Harry started seriously thinking about it and realized, that Hermione would be a very great girl friend.

He heard Death telling that Hermione is his Soulmate. But till now he did not seriously think about it. He just thought about coming back and winning the war. But right now he understood what Death was telling about free will. Even now Harry had a choice to not be with Hermione. Even now Harry could decide not to ask Hermione out. Or He could decide to ask Hermione out right next time he meets her.

Harry decided to plan for the upcoming year, before Hermione reached Grimmauld Place. One thing was he did not want to change too many things. Just enough things which will make him happy and also make defeating Voldemort easy. As he was thinking this, he decided that he had to something about the lessons with Snape. There were too many secrets in his head that he could not let Snape into his head like last time. Maybe he has to practise from today.

Other thing he wanted to change right away was as soon as he was gifted with the mirror, talk to Sirius, and maintain contact with him, so that at the end of the year if the same events repeat Sirius would not die trying to rescue Harry. But all he wanted to do now was to talk to Hermione and get a perspective of how things stand with her.

Like a repeat of last time, around Six O'Clock in the evening the doorbell rang and Mrs. Black started screaming again. This time Harry knew it was Hermione and he wanted to talk to her. But he had no plan. 'As usual' he thought to himself. 'No plan to save the world, no plan to talk to my soul mate. Have to change it. This time everything goes according to a plan' he decided.

As soon as Hermione knocked the door he opened it and asked her why she wasn't skiing with her parents. She gave the same answer as last time."Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not really my thing," said Hermione. "So, I've come here for Christmas." There was snow in her hair and her face was pink with cold. "But don't tell Ron. I told him it's really good because he kept laughing so much. Mum and Dad are a bit disappointed, but I've told them that everyone who is serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they'll understand. Anyway," she said briskly, "let's go to your bedroom, Ron's mum has lit a fire in there and she's sent up sandwiches."

"Hermione wait. I do not want to go to the bedroom and talk to people right now." Said Harry. "What happened Harry? All you alright? Ron and Ginny say you've been hiding from

everyone since you got back from St. Mungo's. Why?" asked Hermione with concern on her face. "I will tell you. But you tell me why you did not go Skiing. And No lying this time." told Harry. The truth was Harry knew that she wanted to go skiing with her mum and confessed it to him in they were campling in the forest in their previous timeline. Then Harry had assumed that she wanted to be with Ron as Mr. Weasley was attacked. Now he wanted to make sure, if she wanted to be with Ron he would not tell her anything and let her be even though she was his soulmate. But if the answer was different, he would lay a stronger foundation for getting together with her.

"How do you know I am lying? For all you know whatever I have told is the 100% truth" countered Hermione. "Hermione I know you better than you realize. You think you are the only one who can spot when I am lying. It goes both ways" answered Harry. Hermione's whole face lit up with a smile. And she answered "Dumbledore told me what happened in the morning. Because you had the vision, I wanted to be here with you in case you take it badly" answered Hermione blushing.

"Thank you Hermione. You are the Best Friend anyone could have" Harry replied honestly. "But you still have not answered me. Why are you hiding from people?" asked Hermione. "Just wanted to do some thinking. You know I cannot think when I am surrounded by people" told Harry. "That's it? You will come with me and talk to everyone now?" asked Hermione. "No not now. As I said I do not want to talk to people right now." told Harry.

"How are you talking to me then?" asked Hermione. "You are different. I know I cannot hide from you. After all how many people would cancel their holidays just to be with a sulking friend?" asked Harry. "You are not just some friend Harry. You are so much more. You are my best friend. You are the person I am closest to, include both the magical and muggle world" answered Hermione a bit emotionally. "I know Hermione. Its the same with you. You are my best friend too, you know" answered Harry. "Me? Not Ron? You are not telling it just because I told you?" asked Hermione a bit hopefully. "Hermione you know I will not lie about things like this. Its not that Ron is not a good friend of mine. But after last year, I have realized the importance of you in my life. Believe me." said Harry with a lot of emotion.

"I would have hugged you if you are not smelling so bad." told Hermione with a smile. "Stay in a Hippogriff's room feeding it dead rats, without taking a bath. You will also smell like this. I will go take a bath. You can give me my hug later" Said Harry and went to take a shower. While he was showering, he thought that the platform is set perfectly for getting close to Hermione, and congratulated himself on a job well done.

A/N:

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till next time...


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